There's an old(e) English proverb that says, "Good beginnings make for good endings."

I've found that to be very true in the hiring process. When I look back at some of the most successful and gratifying searches that I've done (over longer than I care to admit!), they all started out well.

Starting out well means a clear vision of the "perfect" candidate, a compensation that matches the job to be done, a compelling reason why a candidate would want to join the company and a hiring manager who has what Tom Peters calls, "a bias for action" — the perfect ingredients!

And, for most searches, starting out well also means a good, thorough phone screen of potential candidates. It's a real time saver and you can get a good sense of a candidate and his personality if you do it right.

The "doing it right" is the tricky part. Many hiring managers pick up the phone without the slightest idea of the questions they want to ask or the result they want to get. They're comfortable not having a plan in this situation because they say they want to "get a sense" of who the candidate is. But not having a plan for this important call can leave you with murky results, at best. You'll get a better sense of your potential employee in a carefully constructed phone conversation.

Here's how you do it . . . .

1. Set a Time & Place — It seems simple but, like an in-person interview, a phone conversation should be held at a definite time. Get a mutually agreeable time and place to speak where you will not be distracted by other incoming phone calls or emails. Give your full attention to your candidate — don't multitask! We tell candidates to do the same thing. Don't have a phone screen in the car but rather somewhere where your FULL attention can be given. See our newsletter on finding a comfortable spot.



2. Have Your Questions — I like to make an Excel spreadsheet of the qualifications that I need to see in a candidate. I put each qualification on a line so I can make a check or an "X" as I speak to the candidate, along with some notes.
   
   Examples of some entries might be: 5-7 years of experience selling enterprise software, software product marketing experience, highest annual quota, experience in the healthcare vertical, largest marketing budget managed, largest number direct reports, etc. You get the picture.
   
   I actually tell the candidate that I have a "check-sheet" and need to pre-qualify him in the interest of not wasting anyone's time. Candidates do understand and this important check-sheet can save you lots of time by ensuring you don't start "going down the road" with a candidate who is not qualified for your spot. After your check-sheet, you can ask any behavioral questions you may have as well to further determine a fit.



3. Decide Then and There — After the check-sheet qualification and asking additional questions on their skills, you should have enough information to make a "go/no-go" decision. If you are still unsure, ask more questions.
   
   If you have done a good phone screen, you will know whether you want to proceed or not. Make the decision then. It shouldn't go into your "pending" file. If you do not want to proceed, simply say, "I'm afraid that based on the qualifications we need for this position, we don't have a match." If you do want to proceed, get out your calendar and schedule a time to meet — and the sooner the better in this candidate-constrained market!.

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